ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mug — a face
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. foot — a measure
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mug — a cup
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — of ice
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mug — to rob
  24. foot — the bottom

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com